


And the skies are not cloudy all day

by breeisonfire



Series: TAG prompt fics [18]
Category: Thunderbirds
Genre: Gen, american vs english, but they don't really do anything, everyone else is mentioned - Freeform, i learned so much about horses for this, the brOTP
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-06
Updated: 2017-12-06
Packaged: 2019-02-11 06:03:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12929073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/breeisonfire/pseuds/breeisonfire
Summary: prelude prompted me to write the brotp re: different riding styles.





	And the skies are not cloudy all day

**Author's Note:**

> This is set a few days after Home on the Range. I learned so many things today. Thank you, Red, for answering my questions.

“That thing is _hideous_.”

“So you’ve said. Several times.”

“How do you ride like that?”

“Quite comfortably, actually.”

John can’t help but grin as Penny rolls her eyes. She gives him a look, like she’s very unimpressed with his logic, and says, “Really, John, you did just fine with English riding.”

“That is a _goddamn lie_ and you and I both know it,” John says. There are a few things that the two of them disagree on, due to the different ways they’ve been raised. Most of it is inconsequential and they’ve agreed to disagree, but _this_?

Neither of them will admit defeat.

 _This_ refers to Western riding vs English riding. John, due to having grown up in America, on a _ranch_ , is used to Western riding and probably always will be. It’s more comfortable and far more stable, and John has enough issues with gravity as it is, thank you _very_ much. Penny, on the other hand, grew up in a manor in the English countryside, among other rich English kids, and competed as a show hunter.

She’s partial to English riding, and John had learned that the hard way when she’d invited him riding at the manor. They hadn’t had any Western saddles.

Needless to say, it hadn’t gone well. English riding requires far more balance than John has ever had in his life and required more adapting than he’d had been prepared for. He’d nearly taken a spill right onto his head and promptly gotten off.

He’d been hoping for some revenge today, but of course Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward is the type of person who brings her own saddle to a ranch in the United States. Of course she is. Why should he be surprised?

Thankfully, they do have a few horses that are suited to English riding. They have a few stable hands that live in year-round, and some of their horses also stay there. One of them had been kind enough to lend her horse Captain to Penny. The two of them had bonded over their hatred of Western riding, and John had made a run for it.

At least it’s beautiful outside. It’s been a few days since they’d had to fight the Mechanic, and God knows they’re all still on edge from it, but they’re all starting to relax. Somewhat, anyway.

They’re all outside, even Brains and MAX. The two of them are sat in the shade alongside the barn. Gordon’s sat with them; his first and last time on a horse involved him starting backwards, and ended with him tipping off of it, coming out of it uninjured because Scott’s always had fast reflexes and a blatant disregard for his own safety and didn’t even hesitate to dive forward for him. Gordon hasn’t been on a horse since, and even with Lady Penelope here, flat-out refused.

Virgil’s on his own horse, the one he’d helped raise. Her name is Sunny, and she’d been born when Virgil was ten. He’d been attached to her from the beginning. He’d even named her and helped their mom train her when she was old enough. She’s just like Virgil - a calm, steady presence and easily adaptable. Virgil still visits her regularly on his time off.

Scott’s horse is named Ace, and currently Alan’s riding him. Alan was too young to ride horses before their mom passed, and never showed any interest in learning until recently. He’s clearly nervous, but still doing better than Gordon. He’s slowly gaining confidence as he goes.

Scott’s obviously remembering that, too, if the way he’s walking next to Ace is any indication. Ace is the most unflappable horse John’s ever met. He does not seem at all concerned that his owner is nervously hovering.

“Honestly, John, it can’t be comfortable,” Penny says, bringing him back to their conversation. He rolls his eyes.

“You _know_ why we have different styles of riding, Pen,” he says. “I don’t see why you keep dragging this on.”

Penny sticks her nose in the air. “Because you won’t admit I’m right.”

John’s known her long enough to know she’s just being stubborn, and knows if he gives in now, he’ll never hear the end of it. She still gleefully reminds him of the time he’d admitted in a moment of weakness that the spelling should still be ‘colour’ instead of ‘color.’ She’ll never surrender, but that doesn’t mean he has to.

“That’s because you’re not.”

Her eyes narrow suspiciously. John just smiles. She could call his bluff, but she won’t. That’s not how this works.

“I will destroy you, John Tracy,” she eventually says.

“You’ve said that before,” John says. “And yet.”

“Don’t push your luck.”


End file.
